Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister clearly understands the implication of the situation and the complicated issues that are involved. We are trying to encourage him to change the system to accommodate the people to whom we refer. In the case of the employment, it is not as easy to establish the existence of a partnership as it was. At the beginning of the downturn in the economy, changes were made that mean it is virtually impossible to establish it even though both partners worked in the business. It should have been taken into account - and previously was taken into account - in the determination of an individual pension for each partner on the basis that there was a partnership. The problem was to prove that the partnership existed. With regard to those women who do not qualify for a pension at all, it can be said that the non-contributory pension is available. However, if the spouse qualifies for a pension, there is the old story that the household resources are not distributed evenly in every household. We need to keep account of that.

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